Benefits of Probiotics

The many benefits of probiotics contained in
fermented products has led to a huge increase in popularity in these delicious and nutritious products.

The word probiotics originates from 2 words:

Pro (= For)

Biotic (= Life)

So, "probioitics" means “For Life”.
This is, funnily enough, the opposite of antiobiotics (which are injected or
consumed by us, or animals, to kill all off the bad bacteria, which often make
us sick).

Quite simply, probiotics are good bacteria. They are living
things that provide us with all kinds of benefits, and are becoming more
readily available every day in “synthetic” forms.

They are however available in abundance in fermented
products.

Below is a cool illustration that we could show our children to give them an idea of the good bacteria that ferments provide us.

Photo courtesy of probiotics-for-health.com

Where did it all begin?

Fermented products have been part of daily life in many
Asian and European societies for many centuries, and while there has been
little scientific research conducted in English-speaking countries exploring
the benefits of fermented products, there was research conducted in Germany and
Russia early in the 1900’s, by Russian nobel-prize winner, Alexander
Solzhenitsyn.
Solzhenitsyn claimed that kombucha tea cured his stomach cancer during his time in Soviet
labor camps. It is believed that President Reagan used kombucha to successfully
cure his own cancer in 1987, as a result of Solzhenitysm’s testimony. President
Reagan used Kombucha to halt the spread of his cancer in 1987. Reagan
eventually died from old age in 2004, NOT from cancer!
The research conducted was mainly on what was known as “tea kvass”, which is what
we would know as kombucha
or kambucha. While the research was unfortunately halted due to the Cold
War, it was found that this “tea kvass” seemingly led to an immunity to cancer
in many areas of Russia during that time. The research also began to explore
what it was exactly in the “tea kvass” that was so beneficial.

Some scientific jargon

While it was not confirmed by the abovementioned research, some
of the probiotics that are contained within fermented foods and fermented drinks,
which may we have been what these Russian scientists were searching for
include;

Gluconacetobacter

Acetobacter

Lactobacillus

Zygosaccharomyces

There is an increasing amount of scientific-based evidence demonstrating the many benefits of probiotics.

Figure One (from Ms Corse' article): The Human Microbiome. Source: http://imgbuddy.com/human-microbiome.aspNB: You can follow the link to the article to explore greater information contained within the original image.

What are the Benefits of Probiotics?

Some of the many benefits of these probiotics include;

Powerful Detoxifiers
This detoxification allows us to have a healthy liver and is also said to aid
cancer prevention.
NB: Due to their powerful detoxifying effects, people must ensure they keep
their water intake up when consuming fermented products, particularly
kombucha).

Improve digestive (gut) health.
The “living things” (colony of good bacteria and yeast, known as probiotics)
that enter our bodies when we consume fermented products, provide us with all
kinds of benefits, including improved digestion, helping prevent candida,
mental clarity and even a “mood booster”.
The media and some people in the medical industry are touting that “The Gut is
the new Brain” – so that’s how important many people view the health of the
digestive system!
And what better way to ensure you have a healthy gut, than through consuming
delicious fermented products.

Alcohol desire decreaseThis positive effect is not often reported, but since consuming fermented productson a consistent, daily basis, I have virtually no desire to consume alcohol.For anybody that has ever known me, you will understand that this is quite unusual.
I have also seen this effect in friends, family and extended family, on various
levels.
This may be scary for some, but go ahead, give it a try and see all the
benefits of probiotics for yourself, and let us know what you discover!

Are you feeling the benefits of probiotics in your daily
life?

I urge you to combine a probiotic-rich diet with an active
lifestyle and live life to the fullest!